Cleveland Orchestra musicians ratify new, three-year contract

CLEVELAND-ORCHESTRA.JPGFranz Welser-Most and the Cleveland Orchestra musicians. Orchestra members ratified a contract today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Orchestra has a new labor contract.

Monday morning, the institution announced a new, three-year deal with the musicians had been ratified, bringing the negotiation process to a notably swift and uncontentious conclusion.

"The achievement of our goal is a great credit to the negotiators on both sides of the table ...," read a joint statement by Gary Hanson, executive director of the orchestra, and the musicians' negotiating committee. "Everyone feels we reached a productive outcome that provides institutional stability ..."

The contract, retroactive to Sept. 3, calls for the musicians, members of Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians, to receive a 1-percent raise in 2013, a 2-percent raise in 2014, and two extra weeks of paid parental leave, according to a spokesman for the musicians.

The musicians, meanwhile, will pay higher healthcare premiums. Additionally, in the continuation of a term from the previous contract, each artist will donate 12 services over the contract's duration. These can be concerts at Severance Hall, Blossom Music Center, or on tour, said the spokesman.

The previous contract, a three-year deal ratified in January 2010 after a brief strike, included a two-year wage freeze followed by raises in 2012. Currently, base pay in the orchestra is $121,316.

"They approached us in a great way, and we responded in kind," said  bassoonist Jonathan Sherwin, chairman of the musicians' negotiating committee, referring to the Musical Arts Association, the orchestra's governing body.

As Hanson suggested, the settlement brings a measure of calm to an organization in the midst of major change, and facing considerable challenges.

With a contract in place until September 2015, the orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Most can more confidently make long-term plans in an ongoing effort to attract new and younger listeners. They also can focus on eliminating a deficit of $2.7 million and increasing the orchestra's endowment by some $200 million.

The peaceful nature of this contract settlement contrasts with the last round of negotiations in Cleveland, which included a brief strike and the postponement of a residency. The smooth settlement also represents something of an anomaly in the musical world at the moment.

Several major orchestras, including those of Minnesota, Indiana and Atlanta, have seen protracted labor disputes this fall, conflicts leading to work stoppages, canceled concerts and strained relations between musicians, management and their communities. Other ensembles continue to operate under contract extensions or "play and talk" arrangements.

"Certainly, there's a sense of relief," said Sherwin. "We hope to show in our small way that you really can get stuff done, even in tough times."

Union musicians and the Cleveland Orchestra management reached a tentative agreement last week.